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Every so often we get a news story that SEEMS controversial, but isn’t really. Take for example, the (relatively) minor shitstorm over the actions of one Tim Osrin: swimming coach, cyclist, and PROSTITUTE ANNIHILATOR! I put that in dramatic CAPS because all the skin tight lycra Osrin wears in his leisure activities clearly went to his head and now he thinks he’s some kind of superhero.
To recap, Osrin decided to take it upon himself to clean up his neighbourhood of Kenilworth in Cape Town, which apparently had become a bit too prostitutey for his liking. His solution? Assault a random black woman on the street and then run away. Yup, makes perfect sense.
Now I say this story is not controversial because the response to Osrin’s actions was almost unanimous. Douchebag, asshole, idiot, maniac and psycho are just a few choice words hurled at Osrin by an outraged public, and Virgin Active announced that they have terminated his contract as a member and swim coach. Not a good week for Captain Morality.
Whether or not Osrin’s victim was a prostitute didn’t matter (as it happens, the victim, Cynthia Joni, was a domestic worker on her way to work). He totally deserved all the vilification that came his way. Talk about entitlement! These are clearly the actions of an over-privileged yobbo with a stick up his ass and the delusion that the rest of the world’s population are just extras in a movie about his life.
And if you need any further evidence for that character assessment, how about the fact that Osrin thinks he’s the real victim here? Of course he is. For him, it’s all about the severity of his assault, you see, not the fact that he actually assaulted someone. He claims that her injuries are “trumped up” and that he hates people thinking he’s “a monster”. Hmm, yes, me too. That’s why I try to avoid doing monstrous things.
So we can all agree on that. Not so with the racial and gender aspects of the crime, which seems to have some people confused. The first clue that this is absolutely a race and gender issue comes from Osrin himself, who says, “It was not a racist or gender thing... nothing like that.”
Let’s just say we DON’T take the word of a violent nutter trying to justify his random assault on a black woman in broad daylight and explore some other options?
If Cynthia Joni had been white, or a man, it’s safe to say Osrin would never have assaulted her. She simply had to be a black woman in his predominantly white neighbourhood for Osrin to make his judgement and take action.
Yes, HIS neighbourhood. This was clearly a territorial pissing of note. Says Osrin: “I told her to get out of my street...” Actually, Osrin only lives nearby, but close enough to think of it as his territory, and his victim as an intruder.
And despite his claim that the assault had nothing to do with race or gender, Osrin tellingly comments: “She’s probably thinking, ‘this white guy slapped me, great... here comes my Christmas box.”
Beat a woman up, then imply that you’re a victim of her opportunistic exploitation? Ew. Just ew. And then trying to pretend that race and gender than nothing to do with it?
This is an example of what happens when the everyday, insidious racism and sexism we live with explodes. Osrin was merely acting out on what many people feel – and that’s the scary part.
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Follow Women24 on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
To recap, Osrin decided to take it upon himself to clean up his neighbourhood of Kenilworth in Cape Town, which apparently had become a bit too prostitutey for his liking. His solution? Assault a random black woman on the street and then run away. Yup, makes perfect sense.
Now I say this story is not controversial because the response to Osrin’s actions was almost unanimous. Douchebag, asshole, idiot, maniac and psycho are just a few choice words hurled at Osrin by an outraged public, and Virgin Active announced that they have terminated his contract as a member and swim coach. Not a good week for Captain Morality.
Whether or not Osrin’s victim was a prostitute didn’t matter (as it happens, the victim, Cynthia Joni, was a domestic worker on her way to work). He totally deserved all the vilification that came his way. Talk about entitlement! These are clearly the actions of an over-privileged yobbo with a stick up his ass and the delusion that the rest of the world’s population are just extras in a movie about his life.
And if you need any further evidence for that character assessment, how about the fact that Osrin thinks he’s the real victim here? Of course he is. For him, it’s all about the severity of his assault, you see, not the fact that he actually assaulted someone. He claims that her injuries are “trumped up” and that he hates people thinking he’s “a monster”. Hmm, yes, me too. That’s why I try to avoid doing monstrous things.
So we can all agree on that. Not so with the racial and gender aspects of the crime, which seems to have some people confused. The first clue that this is absolutely a race and gender issue comes from Osrin himself, who says, “It was not a racist or gender thing... nothing like that.”
Let’s just say we DON’T take the word of a violent nutter trying to justify his random assault on a black woman in broad daylight and explore some other options?
If Cynthia Joni had been white, or a man, it’s safe to say Osrin would never have assaulted her. She simply had to be a black woman in his predominantly white neighbourhood for Osrin to make his judgement and take action.
Yes, HIS neighbourhood. This was clearly a territorial pissing of note. Says Osrin: “I told her to get out of my street...” Actually, Osrin only lives nearby, but close enough to think of it as his territory, and his victim as an intruder.
And despite his claim that the assault had nothing to do with race or gender, Osrin tellingly comments: “She’s probably thinking, ‘this white guy slapped me, great... here comes my Christmas box.”
Beat a woman up, then imply that you’re a victim of her opportunistic exploitation? Ew. Just ew. And then trying to pretend that race and gender than nothing to do with it?
This is an example of what happens when the everyday, insidious racism and sexism we live with explodes. Osrin was merely acting out on what many people feel – and that’s the scary part.
Follow Chris on Twitter.
Follow Women24 on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
